The Regulatory Mix, TMI’s daily blog of regulatory activities, is a snapshot of PUC, FCC, legislative, and occasionally court, issues that our regulatory monitoring team uncovers each day. Depending on their significance, some items may be the subject of a TMI Regulatory Bulletin.
TELECOM
FCC
Cyber Security
Since October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, the FCC announced it will host a Technology Demonstration and Expo on October 28, 2014. The Expo is intended to help consumers learn how to protect themselves through effective personal cyber security practices while using their personal devices to connect to the Internet. The Expo will include hands-on, interactive exhibits and demonstrations featuring a wide-range of products and services. Exhibit space is available at no cost for qualified entities in the cyber security space. Such entities include government agencies, IT corporations, law enforcement, developers of apps and products, startups, educators, consumer protection advocates, and others. An agenda will be released before the event.
Open Internet/Net Neutrality
The FCC announced that, on October 21, 2014, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai will lead a forum on Internet regulation in College Station, Texas. The event will be hosted by Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service and will focus on the Federal Communications Commission’s Open Internet proceeding. Additional information about the event, including a list of panelists, will be provided at a later date.
California
New legislation in California will address conflicts of interest by prohibiting a PUC officer or employee that is personally involved in the prosecution or supervision of an adjudication case from participating in the decision of the case or any factually related adjudicatory proceeding. The officer or employee would be allowed to participate in reaching a settlement of the case but could not participate in the decision of the commission to accept or reject the settlement, except as a witness or counsel in an open hearing or a specified closed hearing. The new law also: (1) requires that adjudication cases be resolved within 12 months of initiation; and (2) allows the PUC to require a company to demonstrate the ability to pay a potential penalty or restitution if it believes the company lacks, or may lack, the ability to pay potential penalties, fines, or restitution that may be ordered by the PUC.
